This weekend is the kind of college football slate that sorts the contenders from the pretenders. A few of the biggest games on the board carry real weight, and by Saturday night the sport should have a cleaner read on which teams are built for the long haul and which ones are just hanging around.
Start with Alabama and Georgia, because that one has the look of a classic. Kalen DeBoer has already beaten the Bulldogs in each of the last two regular seasons, though that didn’t exactly stick last year when Georgia still took the SEC title and then handled the Tide in the rematch.
This Alabama team, though, has a different feel. The quarterback play is better, the receivers are more explosive, and the defense is making plays.
After some early-season sluggishness, the Tide has come out fast the last two weeks against South Carolina and Mississippi State.
The numbers back up the eye test. Alabama is scoring 49.6 points per game, which even tops the 2020 offense through five games, when that group was at 48.4.
Georgia is right there with it, and maybe even more dangerous under Kirby Smart. The Bulldogs and Tide are 1-2 in the SEC in yards per play and points per game, with Georgia at 7.93 yards per play and 51.4 points per game, and Alabama at 7.22 and 49.6.
A shootout feels inevitable. Dash pick: Alabama 45, Georgia 41.
The Red River rivalry has its own kind of chaos, and Oklahoma is walking into Dallas with plenty of issues. The Sooners are 2-2 and their offense is a mess.
John Mateer has looked lost at quarterback, the run game hasn’t done enough, and the wide receivers haven’t produced enough big plays. Still, this is the kind of game that has a way of jolting one side back to life.
The Dash expects Oklahoma to come out like a team with nothing to lose and keep it tight against Texas’ defense. Dash pick: Texas 19, Oklahoma 17.
Then there’s Nebraska, unbeaten at 5-0, but still hard to trust. The Huskers have beaten three cadavers in nonconference play, and while Michigan State and Maryland were handled by a combined 43 points, those games were heavily influenced by five defensive takeaways.
Indiana doesn’t give away those freebies. If Nebraska has to win without short fields or defensive scores, it gets a lot harder to imagine the Huskers matching the Hoosiers point for point.
Dash pick: Indiana 38, Nebraska 24.
UCLA’s 4-0 start has created some hope that the Bruins might finally be headed for a competitive conference season, but this is a different test entirely. They were 3-6 in each of their first two Big Ten seasons and 4-5 in their last Pac-12 year.
They’re 2-0 in the Big Ten for the first time, but Oregon is a much bigger challenge than Purdue and Maryland. The Ducks have won 11 of the last 12 in the series, and they also beat Bob Chesney’s James Madison team badly last year.
Oregon’s starting quarterback Dante Moore is dealing with a concussion, but the Ducks may have the nation’s best backup in Dylan Raiola. Dash pick: Oregon 31, UCLA 24.
Penn State’s season has already had its promising stretch and its humbling one. The Nittany Lions opened the Matt Campbell era with 3 ½ games of pretty solid football, then followed it with 1 ½ games that brought them back down to earth.
They’ll need the white-out atmosphere to matter here, plus a more focused defense. USC isn’t a juggernaut, but it can cause problems offensively.
Dash pick: USC 30, Penn State 28.
Kentucky-LSU has become the kind of game that can get weird in Lexington, and the Dash is expecting another tight one. Kentucky is 4-1, LSU is 4-1, and the commonwealth has seen its share of late drama in this series.
Jon Sumrall, now Florida’s coach, was on that Kentucky team as a linebacker, though not on the field for the final play. “I was standing on the bench talking to two teammates about how great Two Keys [Tavern] was going to be that night,” Sumrall said.
“Then it wasn’t so great.” Dash pick: LSU 28, Kentucky 27.
There’s also a pair of games that make for perfect couch-watching if you’re in Iowa and ready to root against somebody while your own team plays. Washington gets Iowa, and BYU gets Iowa State.
The Dash goes Washington 23, Iowa 17, and BYU 28, Iowa State 14. That leaves everybody at El Bait Shop sad.
Elsewhere, Purdue finally snapped a long Big Ten drought. For the first time since Nov.
25, 2023-“B.C., or Before Cignetti, in the telling of time in the state of Indiana”-the Boilermakers won a Big Ten game, and it came on the road in a 24-17 win over Illinois. It’s another step in what has been a gradual climb in Year 2 under Odom, and it counts as real evidence that the program is moving forward.
There was also a brutal ending for Montana State after coach Vigen’s timeout against Idaho on Friday night. Vigen, who owns a 66-13 record and the 2025 FCS national championship, called timeout with one second left while Idaho was trailing by seven and rushing to get a final play off. Vigen said he was trying to regroup his defense, but the timeout gave Idaho time to reset, complete a touchdown pass, and then run in the two-pointer for the shocker.
And if you end up in Columbia, Mo., hungry and thirsty, The Dash says to keep it simple: Shakespeare’s Pizza, a panda’s pepper pie, and a Snapper IPA from Logboat.
In Other News...
Kirby Smart Just Validated Alabamas Identity Ahead Of Georgia
Alabama has spent the season leaning into a physical identity, and that reputation is starting to travel well beyond Tuscaloosa. Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack has repeatedly pointed to the strength of the defensive line and the groups effort as core traits for this team, a profile built as much on strain and toughness as it is on talent. That kind of image matters in a league where line play and grit usually decide whether a contender can hold up when the schedule gets heavy.
Kirby Smart reinforced that view this week ahead of Georgias meeting with Alabama, acknowledging the Crimson Tides size and physicality while also nodding to the way the roster has been built through recruiting and the transfer portal. Smart also singled out quarterback Keelon Russell for the progress he has made, a notable compliment considering how closely these teams will be studying every edge. For Alabama, the recognition is useful, but it also serves as a reminder that its identity is now clear enough for a rival to see and respect. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Defense Keeps Giving Kane Wommack A Reason To Pay Up
Kane Wommack has built a small but telling tradition around Alabamas defense, rewarding the staff with a Sunday-night dinner whenever the unit finds the end zone or posts a shutout. It is a lighthearted perk, but it also speaks to how much the coordinator values the people around him and the work that goes into producing those kinds of game-changing moments.
The latest tab came after cornerback Dijon Lee turned an interception into a touchdown against Mississippi State, another reminder that Alabamas defense has been creating reasons for Wommack to keep reaching for the check. Wommack said he appreciates the staffs hard work and the chance to sit down together, which makes the gesture feel less like a gimmick and more like part of the programs rhythm. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama-Tennessee Just Got A Twist Fans Will Be Talking About
Alabamas next trip to Knoxville is already on the calendar, and the details around the 2026 matchup with Tennessee give the Third Saturday in October some added shape. The Tide are set to visit Neyland Stadium on Oct. 17, 2026, with a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff and television information to be announced later, while the broader backdrop is the long-running history between the programs and the recent pattern of how their meetings have been handled.
What makes the scheduling note even more interesting is the jersey arrangement attached to the 2026 and 2027 games, a wrinkle fans will have plenty of time to circle. For now, though, Alabamas attention is on the present, with Georgia coming to Tuscaloosa for a home game that is expected to draw plenty of notable attendees, even as the future date with Tennessee starts to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]